Why You Feel Like You Are Failing

Maybe in this season you’ve struggled to define some tangible progress in an area due to this idea of failure.

You’re a leader who is constantly thinking about and looking for ways to improve and grow. This feeling of failure is natural, but if not wrangled, can take full control of your life. Here are some thinking points...

1. You’re not broken

If you’re not broken, you’re broken. Everything you put your hand to will feel like you are manufacturing energy. In other words, you are trying to do it on your own.

I’m not talking about delegation. I’m not talking about a succession plan. I’m talking about a genuine dependence on the spirit of God. A full relinquishing of everything you “think” you achieved on your own into the hands of God.

God is calling us into more brokenness and less busyness.

Who you are comes before what you do.

Your marriage, family, and calling rely on your ability to daily commit to, “less of me and more of Him.”

Truth: What you are doing now and how you are doing it is the most important thing about what God will give you next.

The temptation is going to be for you to run after what you think is next and neglect what God is doing now. The truth is you can get to “next,” but won’t have the strength to get through it because you neglect what God is doing now, which is where the strength for “next” is.

It’s all about the consistency of your calling. We often want a calling that we are not willing to commit to. We want a destiny without the difficulties; we want a wedding but not a marriage.

You and I need to come into full reality that the higher the reward, the higher the price tag. Growth in any area takes time. Big dreams and visions are simply not enough, its time to commit!

Action Step: GOALS – “goals are visions and dreams with work clothes on.” Make them specific, measurable, and with a timeline. Remember that no one gets anywhere worth going by accident.

Poor Goals: I want to impact people for Christ. I want to be a good parent/spouse. I want to be healthy. (These don’t breed action)

Good Goals: We want to see 100 first time decisions for Christ in three months, I will do four date nights and six family outings a month, I want to lose twenty pounds by Summer.

3. It’s on YOU

Let me eliminate some excuses for you...

“Well, my leader just won’t....”

“Our community just isn’t....”

“My spouse is too...”

“If I were in charge, I would...”

“My team just won’t...”

Often what we need to hear the most is what we want to hear the least. So it’s time for the cold hard truth...It’s YOU.

The leader is ultimately responsible for everything. All responsibility for success and failure rests with the leader. There is no one else to blame—acknowledge mistakes, admit failures, and develop a plan to win.

The best leaders don’t just take responsibility for their job; they take ownership of everything that impacts the overarching goal.

When you take this mindset on, you start to reshape your thinking. You start to think like an owner, rather than an employee...

Employee: Works for the business, spends money, gives some, want to know what’s in it for me, deflects blame, and takes credit.

Owner: Works on the business, invest money, gives their best, want to know what’s in it for the organization, accepts blame, and deflects credit.

Book you must read: “Extreme Ownership”

Stephen Garcia serves on the student team at North Point Church in Springfield, MO. He loves spending time with his family and the occasional run. Connect with him at stepheng@northpointchurch.tv